Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore
Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore by A. K. Yearling is the eighth book in a series of chapter books published by Little, Brown and Company and the first installment in the Daring Do Adventure Collection. In the story, Daring Do is called upon to save three villages from a massive volcano eruption. Production The book's author is credited as "A. K. Yearling", the fictional pseudonym of Daring Do, but is actually written by regular My Little Pony chapter book author G. M. Berrow. The book is bundled in the Adventure Collection with Daring Do and the Eternal Flower, Daring Do and the Forbidden City of Clouds, a cardboard replica of the book that hid the Ring of Destiny in Daring Don't, a gold-painted miniature Daring Do figurine, and a cardboard treasure chest that houses the entire collection. It was released as a single book on January 5, 2016. This book is referenced in My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Movie Magic. Summary Prologue The story opens near the mouth of a still volcano. A silver unicorn with a maliciously scarred cutie mark makes preparations to cast an elaborate magic spell. He talks to himself, referring to himself as the Stalwart Stallion of Neighples, and mentally notes that he will destroy the very villages he once swore to protect. Brought to Light After spending days as a stowaway on the SS Blue Peter, Daring Do begins to run low on rations. She had been searching far and wide for a magical artifact called the Crystal Sphere of Khumn, said to have the power to heal any ailment. While hiding, Daring overhears a conversation between two of the ship's crew members; one mentions a pony named "Mo" and that he "turned". Before long, the ship finally docks at a port, and Daring sneaks away before ever being discovered. Upon returning to her cottage in the woods, Daring sees a gold-coated stallion with a ruler cutie mark pacing in front of it. The stallion calls out to Daring Do and begs her to save the ponies of the village of Marapore. Before leaving, he leaves a book on Daring's porch to "help her study"—much to Daring's delight, the book is Volume E-F of the Encyclopedia Equestria, completing her collection. Daring looks through the book and finds a bookmarked page about the Flankara Relics: three artifacts that magically protect the Tricorner Villages of Marapore, Ponypeii, and Lusitano from the volcanic eruptions of Mount Vehoovius. Alternatively, the Relics are a key part of a ritual called the Vehoovius Hex that allows the caster to undo any magically inflicted injury. According to Volume U-V of the Encyclopedia Equestria, Mount Vehoovius is due to erupt very soon. Realizing that the Flankara Relics and Tricorner Villages are in danger, Daring Do sets out to help. Enter the Jungle About halfway to the Tricorner Villages, Daring checks in at the Get On Inn, a small barn-and-breakfast that she'd stayed at during a previous adventure. The owner Mrs. Trotsworth tells Daring that business has been slow due to recent robberies in the villages' area. She also tells Daring that a stallion passed through a few hours earlier—with some monetary coercion, Daring learns it was the same stallion she saw in front of her cottage. In the messy room that the stallion stayed in, Daring finds a jar of Goops for Stuff ointment and a written-on piece of parchment. The next morning, she uses the ointment to soothe her muscles and sets out again. When she reaches the general area of the Tricorner Villages, Daring removes her hat and puts on a silver robe in order to blend in with the ponies of Marapore. She enters the village—stumbling into it from a steep cliff—and is greeted by the villagers, who joyously refer to her as the "Golden Prophesied Pegasus." The Wisdom of Colts and Scholars Daring Do is treated by the villagers with reverence, believing her to be Marapore's savior. A pony named Kaaxtik explains to Daring that, of the three Flankara Relics, the Staff of Ponypeii and the Sword of Lusitano have been stolen; only the Arrow of Marapore remains. In addition, the protector of the relics—Marapore's schoolteacher Golden Rule—has disappeared. Kaaxtik implores Daring to take Golden Rule's place, and Daring, introducing herself as "Mare-ion Ravenhoof", begrudgingly accepts. Later, Daring uses her new role as a schoolteacher to try and decipher the riddle of the Vehoovius Hex. She receives assistance from a young colt named Tater Tot. Together they learn that Mojo, the "Stalwart Stallion of Neighples" who originally brought the Flankara Relics to the Tricorner Villages, seeks to use the relics to cast the Vehoovius Hex and requires Golden Rule and a captive audience as witnesses to the ritual. Daring deduces that Golden Rule was the stallion she saw at her cottage the day before. Daring and Tater Tot's research is interrupted by a commotion in the village. Several villagers' pets have gone missing; Daring reasons that the animals are Mojo's captive audience and that he would act later that night. As Kaaxtik advises the villagers to stay in their homes, Daring and Tater Tot get back to work. The piece of parchment Daring found in Golden Rule's room at the Get On Inn turns out to be a missing page from an old book. The missing page forms an illustration of how to open a hidden door in a cave. With every puzzle piece now in place, Daring Do prepares for Mojo's arrival. The Belly of the Beast A half hour after sundown ("half past stars"), Daring Do waits in hiding in the village square. Before long, Mojo appears to seize the Arrow of Marapore from the Stalwart Stallion of Neighples' stone statue, and Daring notices his mutilated cutie mark. In the distance, smoke rises from the soon-to-erupt Mount Vehoovius. Mojo takes the Arrow and notices Daring Do attempting to sneak up on him. During the struggle, Mojo takes Tater Tot hostage and vanishes. Daring pursues Mojo through the forest and into a dead-end cave. Remembering the illustration from the torn page, she taps on the wall to reveal a door. After a run-in with some blood-eyed howler monkeys, Daring ends up in a small underground tunnel where she discovers the missing pets from Marapore—all hypnotized by Mojo. Daring appeals to the pets, freeing them from Mojo's control, and comes up with a plan to save them. Pretending to be the animals' prisoner, Daring is taken to Mojo's lair deep inside the volcano, where Tater Tot and Golden Rule are caged. As Daring is caged with them, Mojo prepares the Vehoovius Hex. However, Mojo believes that one of the requirements for the Hex, as falsely informed by Golden Rule, is a gold-coated Pegasus with a volcano cutie mark. When Daring's cloak is removed, both she and Mojo are shocked to discover that Daring's cutie mark is gone! Escape from Mount Vehoovius Mount Vehoovius begins to erupt. Undeterred, Mojo attempts to cast the Vehoovius Hex anyway. Golden Rule explains to Daring that her cutie mark is still there, but the Goops for Stuff ointment she used made it temporarily invisible. As Golden Rule and Tater Tot lead the animals out, Daring faces off against Mojo. In the confrontation, Daring learns that Ahuizotl is the one who scarred Mojo's cutie mark. Once one of Ahuizotl's henchponies, Mojo wanted to quit and go back to the Royal Navy, so Ahuizotl scarred him in anger. Daring Do appeals to Mojo's better nature, saying he doesn't have to hurt anyone else. In a moment of remorse, Mojo relinquishes the Flankara Relics to Daring and tells her to leave him behind. Daring does just that and escapes the rumbling volcano. With only minutes before Vehoovius erupts, Daring returns the Flankara Relics to their respective village statues. During this, Captain Pony the Elder and his crew of the SS Blue Peter arrive to evacuate the villagers. As soon as Daring returns the Arrow of Marapore to its statue, the three Relics' magic activates, and a force field shields the villages from the raining lava. Soon after, Daring returns to Mojo in his lair. She convinces him to rejoin Captain Pony's crew and return the animals to their rightful owners. In return, she vows to heal his cutie mark when she finds the Crystal Sphere of Khumn. Off to the Next Adventure After a victory celebration, Golden Rule and Tater Tot see Daring Do off as she leaves Marapore. As a token of appreciation, Golden Rule gives her a one-of-a-kind book: Indigenous Magical Plants of the North and South, Volume 5: Flowers. Daring bids goodbye to the two and heads out. Just before Daring is out of earshot, Golden Rule calls out and mentions something of particular interest in the book: the Eternal Flower. Quotes :Steel Anchor: Hey! Did you hear about old Mo? He turned... :Sea Storm: That so? Darn shame... Always had it in 'im, though. Poor chap had been through a lot with his flank situation and all. Nasty thing. :Golden Rule: Daring Do! If you are anywhere in the vicinity—and I hope you are—it would do you well to visit the village Marapore. Before it's too late! :Daring Do: Filly-ho! :Kaaxtik: Ponies of Marapore, we have prayed to the great guardians, and they have answered us. Let us be grateful that we have nothing left to fear. For it is prophesied that a foreign pony of vast knowledge will arrive in our hour of need. It has happened! This golden-winged angel shall protect us! :Tater Tot: Oh, and I know that your name isn't Miss Ravenhoof. It's Daring Do, huh? :Daring Do: What happened to you, Mojo? :Mojo: The Stalwart Stallion of Neighples! What a joke I must be now. I never deserved a monument. It's so much more fitting that I am the great and powerful Mojo now—a pony who sees what he wants and takes it for himself! May this statue be a good warning to those who ever think of crossing me again! :Tater Tot: I'm n-n-not a-a-afraid of you! In fact I'm h-h-having fun! :Mojo: Excellent! I always do enjoy a willing victim! :Daring Do: You won't get away with this, Mojo! :Mojo: Yes, I will. Because it appears I get everything I want. :Kaaxtik: The relic has connected with its brothers! Miss Ravenhoof! You did it! We're protected from the fiery beast! :Mojo: But why? why would you do this for me? :Daring Do: Because everypony deserves their cutie mark. And I really hate Ahuizotl. :Golden Rule: It's a thank-you gift. For everything. :Daring Do: I don't know if you caught this, but I'm not really a sentimental type... except when it comes to books! References